Dreams of the Will of Fire
by Akatsuki210
Summary: Those who live in the ninja world know the Endless well. They know Dream, and Desire, Destiny, Destruction, Despair, Delirium...and Death. A series of crossover drabbles between Naruto and Sandman.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto, Sandman, _or any of the characters in either series.

**Warning:** This chapter does NOT contain any spoilers for the_ Naruto_ manga. Future chapters may; if so, I will put a warning at the beginning of the chapter.

**Note****:** I've made this a separate story from "A Rain of Endless Leaves," because it's less structured. There won't necessarily be a one chapter to one Endless ratio, there may be more or less than seven chapters, and some of the featured characters from the _Sandman_ universe will be entities other than the Endless. Updates will probably be somewhat sporadic, since I'll be working on chapters of this in between other projects.

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**Chapter 1: Eulogy**

Naruto stood at the podium, looking out at the audience. If he were awake, he would have found them an exceedingly strange crowd. Most of his friends and fellow ninja from Konoha were there, but so were people from other villages. He even spotted a few Akatsuki members, none of whom seemed particularly interested in trying to capture him. And he also saw some people that he knew for a fact were dead--Zabuza and Haku were there, and Jiraiya, and the Third Hokage. Moreover, there were people who looked like no ninja or civilian he'd ever seen. A woman with a cat's head, an old man with one eye and a raven perched on each shoulder, a contingent of men in white robes with feathery wings sprouting from their shoulder blades.

Every single one of them was staring at him.

"So..." He scratched the back of his head, took a deep breath, and tried to think of something to say. "I'm not really good at making speeches, but...I'm gonna try, 'cause this guy was really important to me. I first met Morpheus when I was a baby--I don't even remember it when I'm awake. The Fourth Hokage had just died sealing this massive fox-demon into me to save our village. I was laying on the ground, screaming my lungs out because I was terrified. And then suddenly there's this really tall, really thin guy with black hair and dark eyes standing over me. And he picked me up and...he said to me, 'You, child, are the embodiment of the ninja world's hopes and dreams. Follow in your father's footsteps, remain strong in resolve, and you will change the world. Perhaps you will even save it.'"

The audience was watching him silently, engrossed by his words.

"And...it's kinda weird, because even though I don't consciously remember the words he said when I'm awake, in another way, I do. It's like...like my _soul_ remembers them even if my brain doesn't."

Tears were stinging Naruto's eyes. "He inspired me to do all the things I'm trying to do, and I just wish he could have lived to see me succeed. I wish he could have lived to see me bring Sasuke back."

Somewhere in the fifth row, Sasuke snorted derisively and muttered, "Like that'll ever happen." In the seat next to him, his brother poked his forehead. "Don't be rude at a funeral, Sasuke-niisan."

"I wish he could have seen me surpass Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya-sensei. And...most of all...I wish he could have lived to see me become Hokage."

He sniffed. "I guess that's all I have to say." And he walked back to his seat between Sakura and Sasuke.

* * *

**A/N:** This one expands on a scene from Destruction's chapter in "A Rain of Endless Leaves," although you can understand this chapter perfectly well without having read that story.

I've got a few good ideas for future chapters, but I honestly don't know which one will come next.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday. Happy New Year's!


	2. A Fork in the Road

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto _or _Sandman_.

* * *

**Chapter 2: A Fork in the Road**

_Neji watched the birds fly overhead, feeling oddly content. He was pretty sure that the wounds Kidomaru had given him were fatal, yet he couldn't bring himself to be too concerned about it. Although, he did wish that his vision wasn't fading out around the edges. The green trees and blue sky were so beautiful..._

Neji wasn't quite sure how he had come to be walking in this garden, but once again, couldn't be bothered to wonder too deeply about it. It was certainly the largest and most varied garden he'd ever seen. Some of the paths were paved with cobblestones or bricks, some were gravel, and some were dirt. There were even canals that looked like paths of water. Marble arches or wooden grape arbors loomed over some of the paths, while others were guarded by fantastic topiary animals. Some of the paths were arrow-straight, others were curved, and still others meandered into elaborate spirals or looped back on themselves over and over.

Neji had stopped to admire a lovely stone fountain when he was startled by a deep, clear voice from behind him. "Do you like my garden, visitor?"

Neji's ninja reflexes spun him around in an instant, hands up in the characteristic Jyuuken position and Byakugan activated. The man who had spoken to him wore a long, brown robe with a hood that obscured most of his face. He carried a huge book in his hands, bound in leather with elaborate gold tracings. Neji noticed with surprise that an iron manacle chained the book to the man's wrist.

"I didn't realize that this garden belonged to you, sir," Neji said, politely but cautiously. "I apologize for trespassing on your property."

"It is not exactly my property," the man responded. He was perfectly calm, apparently unperturbed by the sudden appearance of a ninja in his garden. "I am the keeper of this place, but it belongs to every being who has ever lived, and every being that will live in the future."

Neji's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying this is some kind of public garden?"

The man laughed softly. "I suppose you could say that. I am--and this garden is--Destiny."

Neji gritted his teeth. "I don't believe in destiny anymore."

Although most of the man's face was hidden by his hood, his tone of voice suggested that his eyebrows were raised and his eyes wide. "Oh?"

"I used to think that a person's fate was determined from the moment they were born, and that there was nothing anyone could do to change it. But I met someone who taught me differently. He was born a loser, a failure, an outcast, but he refused to accept that fate. He worked hard and never gave up, and he _changed _his destiny. So, no, I don't believe in unchangeable fate."

This seemed to amuse the man. "Why is it that so many of your people assume fate is a single straight path? Look around you: don't you see the paths that have so many twists and turns, the forks in the road, the paths that intersect with others? You may begin your life on one path, but who can say where that path will lead over the course of years and decades? This book I carry tells the lives of every sentient being in every possible world. But I only _read_ the book--who do you think wields the pen? Look!" He opened the book to an apparently random page and held it out to Neji. To the ninja's amazement, the words on the page were constantly being edited--lines being added and erased and rewritten before his eyes.

"Everything you do changes what is written here. I read the book, but _you_ are the ones who write it." He pointed to a line on the page that was shifting particularly rapidly. "What will you write, Hyuuga Neji-san?"

Neji scritinized the words. _And then Neji died._ They changed. _And then Neji's teammates found him, and brought him to Tsunade in time to save his life. _And changed again. _And then Neji's teammates found him and brought him to Tsunade, but they were too late._

"What will you write?" Destiny asked again, more quietly this time.

_Neji slowly opened his eyes. He was laying in a hospital bed with an IV drip in his left arm. All three of his teammates were in the room, and Tenten was the first to notice that he had woken up. "Gai-sensei, Lee-san, look! Neji-san's awake!"_

_Both green-clad men leapt to their feet, and Tenten had to prevent Lee from engulfing Neji in a hug that probably would have shattered his bones all over again. "Ah, Neji-san! I never doubted you for an instant!" he declared, although the tears in his eyes seemed to contradict that statement. "I knew that with the Power of Youth, you would pull through!"_

_"Yes!" Gai agreed, in a voice that could probably be heard throughout the hospital. "Indeed, Naruto-san has been a good influence on you. The Youthful Determination that you learned from him has allowed you to overcome this trial! We are all so proud of you!"_

_Tenten nodded. Although she was less melodramatic than her male teammates, she too was greatly relieved to see that Neji would be all right. "I guess you were destined to come back to us," she said._

_"No..." Neji whispered. "Nothing is predetermined. We...write our own destinies."

* * *

_**A/N: **Hopefully I managed to keep Neji and Destiny reasonably IC--Destiny didn't speak much in the last story I wrote about him, and I don't have a lot of experience writing Neji. (And for some reason, I kept misspelling Destiny as Density. LOL.)

I hope the New Year is off to a good start for everyone!


	3. A Murder of Crows

**Disclaimer:** Once again, I don't own _Naruto_ or _Sandman_.

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**A Murder of Crows**

Itachi focused his chakra, and the crows that fluttered and swirled around him began to disappear one by one. Jet-black feathers drifted down from the sky, falling around Itachi's feet.

After a few moments, he noticed that one stubborn bird hadn't vanished. It was perched on a nearby stone wall, and it seemed to be looking at him inquisitively. _A natural crow, attracted by my jutsu? Or perhaps an animal that some other ninja has summoned to keep an eye on me?_ Itachi focused his Sharingan on the errant bird, and raised a kunai as he saw that its chakra was that of a human, not an animal. _It has to be Henge no Jutsu. The only question is, who is this?_ The kunai, of course, was a ruse. An opponent's eye would naturally be drawn to the weapon, and thus to Itachi's fingers curled around it--which would promptly put the enemy into a genjutsu.

"Who are you?" Itachi demanded.

The bird shifted from foot to foot. "My name's Matthew," it said in a harsh, croaking voice.

Itachi slowly repeated the unfamiliar name. "Mat-hyu?" It sounded like no shinobi name he'd ever heard of. "What country are you from?"

"Well, that's kind of an interesting question. When I was alive, I lived in America, but now I'm in the Dreaming."

This made no sense at all. Was this unknown ninja trying to confuse him? "What do you mean by, 'when I was alive'? You seem quite alive to me."

Matthew laughed. "Yeah, I guess I would. I have a body and all. I'm just not...alive. And please, no lame zombie jokes. Believe me, I've heard them all."

"Why are you here?"

"Well...I wanted to talk to you, I guess. That's a real nice, what-do-you-call-it, jutsu thingy you've got there. All those crows and stuff. That's how I got here--I _know _that's the next question you're going to ask. See, illusions are just waking dreams, so they're like doors between the waking world and the Dreaming. I came through your illusion to get here."

"And why do you want to talk to me? You are obviously a ninja, so the most likely conclusion is that you are a hunter-nin who has been assigned to assassinate me. But that does not require talking to me."

"Uh, what? I don't wanna assassinate _anybody_. And I'm not a ninja. Even when I was human, I sucked at fighting, and now I'm just a raven. What am I gonna do, flap my wings at you?"

"You look like a raven, yet you have the chakra of a human. Clearly, then, you are a ninja using _Henge no Jutsu _to conceal your true appearance. I will ask you exactly one more time: Who are you? If you don't answer, I will take the knowledge from your mind by force."

"Okay, okay, you don't have to get such a bee in your bonnet about it! I _used_ to be human, but then I died, and Dream changed me into a raven, and I work for him now. Okay? Are you happier now that you know that?"

"Why should I believe you?"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Matthew's wings drooped. Itachi was no expert in avian body language, but he thought the bird looked exasperated. "Look, you're some kinda illusion expert, right? You can go into people's minds and mess around in there, right? Look inside my mind and decide for yourself whether I'm lying or not." With that, his beady black eyes met Itachi's narrowed red ones.

Itachi sifted through Matthew's memories, noting that the bird (man?) made no effort to conceal anything. He saw all the joys and sorrows of Matthew's previous life as a human, the final tragedy of his death, and his acceptance of Morpheus's offer to become his companion.

Itachi withdrew carefully from Matthew's mind. "You are not lying." A slight hint of wonder broke through the normal stoicism of Itachi's voice. He had seen many strange things in his life as a ninja, but this was something new. He noticed that Matthew's feathers were puffed up and he was shaking. "Are you alright? I was not intending to damage you with the genjutsu."

"I'll be okay, it's just..." He trailed off. "I try not to think about my past life much," he finished in a softer voice.

A small, bitter smile crossed Itachi's face. "I know what you mean." A few moments passed in silence, and then Itachi asked, "Earlier, you said you wanted to speak to me. Why?"

Matthew sighed. "There's been some big changes in the Dreaming recently. The boss is...different...Fiddler's Green is gone, things just aren't the same anymore. And my job was never intended to be a permanent one anyway. There were others before me, and they all moved on."

"And you are beginning to wonder if it's time for you to do the same."

Matthew nodded.

"But why did you want to talk to me about that? You don't even know me."

"Actually, I kinda do. I know everyone who dreams."

"So, why?"

"Look, Morpheus has this thing for lost causes. At least, the last one did, and I figure the new one's probably inherited that quality. I was a basket case when I met him the first time. I'd screwed up really badly. I mean, _really_ badly. Not just my own life either. My wife's life, my kids...I pretty well screwed over the people I cared about most. Can't really sink lower than that, y'know?"

"Believe me, I know."

"Yeah, I guess you would. Anyway, Morpheus didn't care about any of that. Didn't patronize me, didn't scold me, didn't _judge_ me. Just said, 'That is in the past, Matthew. I am asking you about your future.' And I figured, what have I got to lose? If I went with his sister, I'd end up running into my wife and kids, and there was no way in hell I was ready to face them. Not so soon after...well, anyway, I accepted his offer, and here I am. I like to think I've been able to do some good. He's a lonely guy, Morpheus, and I think having someone that he can always count on to be by his side helps. I dunno if I can ever make up for what I did when I was alive, but at least I've been trying. And Dream...he gave me a second chance." Matthew tilted his head and looked up at Itachi. "You seem like a guy who could use one of those."

Another bitter smile. "I most certainly could. Is that what you are offerring me, then?"

"It wouldn't be right away," Matthew said hastily. "I mean, someone's gotta help the new guy get his bearings. I can't just go off and leave before he figures everything out. But sooner or later...he'll need someone to take my place when I _do_ leave. And you haven't got much time left, anyway, right? That fancy eye thing you do, it's wrecking your body."

"You saw that in my dreams as well?"

"Yeah. So, what do you say?"

Itachi tilted his head back and looked up at the sky for a long time. _What was it Shikaku-sensei used to say? "I wish I could stare up at the clouds forever, but I know I can't. Sooner or later, I'll get called out to a mission and I can't be sure I'll come back. I might never get another chance to look up at the clouds. Everything has to end sometime...but maybe everything that dies can be reborn."_

"Everything that lives must die," Itachi said. "But maybe everything that dies can be reborn. And perhaps...perhaps everyone deserves a second chance. Even me."

Matthew nodded. "I'll see you around, then. Uh...could you do that thing with the crows again? I need a way to get back."

Itachi formed a few seals, and a whirlwind of feathers surrounded him. When it disappeared, Itachi was alone.

* * *

_"Sasuke?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"We're almost there. You okay, man? You had kind of a faraway look in your eyes. Or were you just trying to tune out Karin?"_

_"I HEARD THAT!"_

_Sasuke sighed. "Do you always have to set her off? For your information, I was recalling a dream I had last night."_

_"Oh? What kind of dream?"_

_"It was...strange. I was wandering, lost, through this dark landscape. Every so often, monsters would show up and attack me. But then this bird--a raven or crow, maybe, something big and black--flew down and sat on my shoulder. It told me what path to take, and warned me about the monsters so that they couldn't take me by surprise. It was like it was protecting me or something."_

_"Huh. Weird dream."_

_"Yeah, yeah it was." But somehow, Sasuke found himself hoping that he would have the same dream again the next night.

* * *

_**A/N: **So, the _Sandman_ character in this one isn't one of the Endless, but I hope you'll like the story anyway. AFAIK, Gaiman hasn't specified in canon what Matthew's life as a human was actually like, but I figured it probably wasn't a happy one. He briefly mentioned drunk driving during the arc where Dream and Delirium go looking for Destruction, so I was trying to imply that Matthew died in a car accident that also killed his wife and children.

I hope the little bit at the end came out well--I've never written any dialogue for Team Hebi/Taka before.

Oh, and "murder" is apparently the technical term for a flock of crows, hence the title. It seemed pretty fitting for a story about Itachi...


	4. After the End

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own _Naruto_ or _Sandman_.

* * *

**After the End**

Pain burned through Madara's body, radiating from the weapons stuck in his back. He could tell that one of his lungs had been punctured--breathing was excruciatingly painful and accompanied by an alarming whistling sound. He could hear Hashirama walking away, his steps slow and halting. He was wounded too, and he genuinely regretted having to kill the man who had been both a worthy rival and his partner in founding Konoha.

Madara closed his eyes. _So this is it, then? All of it was...for nothing?_

"Are you really going to give up so easily?"

Madara's eyes snapped open at the unfamiliar voice. He managed to raise his head just enough to see the person standing in front of him. It was hard to tell the individual's gender. It had the slender build and curves of a woman, but the square jawline and deep voice of a man. It was wearing shinobi armor, but its forehead protector was blank, and there was no clan symbol anywhere on its clothing.

"Who...?" Madara's voice, usually so strong and commanding, had been reduced to a whisper.

"That doesn't matter," said the visitor. "I'm not here to talk about me. I'm here to talk about you. You're supposed to be the patriarch of the Uchiha Clan, the possessor of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, the master of the Kyuubi. And yet here you are, lying on the ground, ready to die. Pathetic."

Madara growled. "How...dare..." He coughed, and blood spattered the ground.

The mysterious observer bent over Madara and yanked the swords out of his back. He couldn't draw in enough breath to scream. Then the person passed a hand over his back, and the pain vanished. Tentatively, he tried to take a deep breath and found that he could. "Was that a medical ninjutsu?"

"Not exactly." The person stepped back and placed its hands on its hips. "What is it that you want, Madara?"

Noting the lack of an honorific, Madara glared, but chose to answer the question. "I want my clan to hold its rightful place of leadership in this village. I want us to be honored and feared for our strength. I want the power of the Uchiha to be acknowledged." He scowled. "And I want revenge on the spineless bastards who gave all of that up for the sake of _peace_." He spat the last word contemptuously.

"Then don't just lie there feeling sorry for yourself. Get up and _take_ what you want. That's the way you've always done things, isn't it? Are you some wet-behind-the-ears genin who gives up the first time he's beaten? Or are you a _real_ shinobi?"

In an instant, Madara was on his feet, one hand locked around the stranger's neck. "Do not _ever_ insult me again," he warned. His voice was a whisper again, not from weakness, but because he had learned that a menacing whisper was often more effective than a shout.

The stranger only smiled, and...stepped out of Madara's grip. Even with his Sharingan activated, he couldn't see how the person had done it. One second, its neck was firmly in his grasp, and the next, it was standing a few inches to one side.

"What...what kind of jutsu was that?"

The stranger didn't reply with words. It merely placed one hand on either side of Madara's face, and pulled him forward into a fierce kiss. Madara's eyes widened. _What the __**fuck**__ is going on here?_

The mysterious individual pulled back and smiled. "There. Now my older sister won't be able to find you."

"What...older sister...what are you talking about?" Madara's whole body tingled. What he'd just experienced was, without a doubt, the most satisfying kiss of his life.

"Go, Uchiha Madara. You desire so much, so strongly. I've given you what you need to obtain it. The rest...is up to you."

Then the figure disappeared, and Madara was left alone at the Valley of the End.

* * *

**A/N:** ...Did I just write a DesirexMadara scene? Did I really? First an ItaDei oneshot, and now this. I really don't know what's gotten into me. (And hey, it's as good an explanation as any for how Madara got to be immortal.)


	5. Our Brothers' Keepers

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own _Naruto_ or _Sandman_.

* * *

**Our Brothers' Keepers**

Sasuke climbed the hill in the darkness, his Sharingan keeping him from stumbling over stones or tree roots. He climbed because he was searching for something. Or rather, for some_one_.

Even in his dreams, Sasuke chased Itachi.

At the top of the hill was a house, large and tottering, its yellowish-brown paint peeling. The sound of people arguing could be heard from inside.

Sasuke turned away from the house, intending to continue on his quest, but was distracted by the sight of a very odd creature sitting at his feet. It was a vivid yellow color, with a head that was rather too large for its body and a pair of membranous, batlike wings that were rather too small. The...thing...blinked up at him. "Peep?"

Sasuke swerved around the creature and strode towards the stone wall that marked the boundary of the house's property.

"Peep?"

Sasuke looked back over his shoulder and saw that the whatever-it-was had followed him. He took a couple more steps away from it, and it flapped towards him, half-hopping and half-flying.

The door to the house slammed, and a man came out onto the porch. "Honestly, sometimes I could just _murder_ that lunkhead..." he muttered to himself, and then noticed Sasuke. "Oh. I see you've met Goldie."

"What?"

"Goldie. The baby gargoyle." Seeing Sasuke's blank look, he elaborated, "The tiny yellow thing."

"That's...a baby gargoyle?"

"Yep. Gift from me to my brother. Not that the idiot appreciates it. Do you know what he wanted to name it? Irving. _Irving_. Have you ever heard of a gargoyle named Irving?"

Sasuke had never heard of a gargoyle being named _anything_, so he just shook his head.

"Neither have I. Luckily, I was able to talk him out of it. Anyway, what's _your_ name?"

"Sasuke."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Sasuke. Ordinary dreamers rarely come to this particular part of the Dreaming. I'm Cain, by the way."

"It's good to meet you, Cain-san."

"So, may I ask what brings you to our little corner of the dream realm?"

"I'm looking for someone."

"Oh? And who might that be? You can find almost anyone in the Dreaming, you know, if you happen to be here at the right time."

"I'm looking for my brother. His name is Uchiha Itachi."

"And why, pray tell, would you be looking for him?"

"I want to kill him."

"Wanting to kill your brother? Ah, that takes me back. Mind you, you can get in quite a bit of trouble for doing it. Hmm...it seems to me I've heard that name before. Now why would that be?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed with eagerness and his heartbeat grew faster. "You know something about Itachi?"

Cain tugged on his beard thoughtfully. "Ah, yes, I remember! Did you know, Sasuke, that my house is called the House of Mystery? I'm the keeper of mysteries, you know."

Not willing to be distracted, Sasuke demanded, "What does that have to do with Itachi?"

"Why, my dear boy, it has everything to do with Itachi! To everyone but himself, Uchiha Itachi is a mystery, and as I said, I'm a keeper of mysteries." A faraway look entered his eyes for a moment, and then he turned to Sasuke and placed one hand on his shoulder. It was a strangely paternal gesture, and Sasuke didn't know what to make of it. "Sasuke. There are things about Itachi you don't know yet. He's a mystery even to you, and you shouldn't kill him without knowing the truth."

"Truth? He murdered my family! What other truth is there?"

"Ah, there are many, many truths. There's a truth for every mystery, even if no one alive knows what that truth is. I can't give you the answers you're looking for--I'm not permitted to--but I c_an_ tell you that there's more to this mystery than you know. Don't do anything rash before you solve it. You...might find that you regret it."

Sasuke was about to retort angrily--_what could this man possibly know about what I'm feeling?_--but he was interrupted by the arrival of another man on the house's porch. "Uh, C-Cain, have you s-seen Goldie, by any chance?" The newcomer was somewhat plump, with a nervous-looking face.

Cain whirled around to face the other man. "Yes, I've seen him, you nincompoop, he's _right here_! Honestly, are you blind or something?"

The man on the porch cringed backward at Cain's verbal assault. "O-Okay, I just w-wanted to make sure that he's alright. He's s-still very small, you know." He seemed to notice Sasuke at that moment and added, "Who's that? A d-dreamer?"

"No, it's Lord Morpheus in disguise," Cain answered sarcastically. "Of course it's a dreamer. His name's Sasuke."

"Oh. Well, my name's Abel. Would you like a cup of t-tea, Sasuke?"

"No, thank you. I'm in a bit of a hurry. I'm searching for my brother."

"Oh, that's n-nice! You w-want to be reunited with him, is that it?"

"Oh, _God_, I don't think I can take the stupidity anymore! No, Abel you ninny, he doesn't want to have a happy-sappy reunion with his brother! He's searching for him so that he can _kill_ him! A sentiment that I can fully empathize with, listening to your mindless chatter!"

"Oh, b-but, I don't think that's a g-good idea, Sasuke! I mean, it isn't very nice to kill your brother. And I'm s-sure he'd be very sad if you killed him. B-Being killed by your own brother isn't very fun at all. It hurts r-rather a l-lot, actually."

"Isn't very _nice_?" Sasuke's voice was incredulous. "It isn't _supposed_ to be nice, and I hope it _does_ hurt a lot! And why on earth would you say that it would make him sad? If you knew anything about Itachi at all, you'd know that he isn't capable of human emotion. Otherwise he wouldn't have murdered our family and _made me watch_!"

Sasuke and Cain's combined anger seemed to have cowed Abel. He stared down at the ground, and his voice was very small. "T-the reason I said he'd be sad is that I know what it's l-like to be killed by one's own brother, and i-it made _me_ s-sad. It m-makes me sad every time."

Sasuke's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean, you know what it's like to be killed by a brother? You don't look very dead to me."

"Oh, don't worry Sasuke, he'll look _very_ dead in a moment." Cain snatched a kunai from Sasuke's weapons pouch and marched towards the porch.

"N-No, Cain, p-please don't! N-Not in front of a g-guest! P-Please!"

Sasuke didn't really know much about these two men, and thought they were very strange, but the sight of Abel begging and pleading with his older sibling aroused a memory in him.

_"Why, Nii-san! Why did you...why?"_

Sasuke's fists clenched, and he charged towards Cain, who was advancing on Abel with the kunai. He swung, but was astonished to find his fist stopping an inch from Cain's temple as solidly as if it had hit a brick wall.

"What was that?"

Cain turned to him. "That was the effect of the Mark. No one, be they god or demon or mortal, can harm me."

Sasuke's response was immediate. "Where can I get a mark like that?"

Cain laughed bitterly. "Well, my boy, you may be on the fast track to getting one already. I received this Mark the first time I killed Shit-for-Brains here. It was...compensation for my punishment."

"I don't understand," Sasuke said.

"I was given this Mark so that strangers wouldn't kill me as I walked from place to place. That was my punishment, you see. I was cast out from my home and forced to wander the world for all eternity. I can never return to familiar lands, or to the people that I care about." He handed the kunai back to Sasuke hilt-first. "So tell me, Sasuke, are you still so eager to earn my Mark?"

"I...I have no bonds to my birthplace or my old friends anymore," Sasuke responded defiantly.

"Oh? Is that really true?" Cain leaned in close to Sasuke, their faces only a couple of inches apart. "Is it?"

"Gah!" Sasuke sat bolt-upright in bed, soaked in sweat. _What was that?_ After the Massacre, he had grown used to nightmares, but this was by far the most bizarre one yet. He climbed out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom, where he splashed some cool water on his face. In the mirror over the sink, he caught sight of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal on his shoulder.

_"So tell me, Sasuke, are you still so eager to earn my Mark?"_

Sasuke shivered.

* * *

**A/N:** ...It's too bad Sasuke didn't listen to them, isn't it? Oddly enough, he _lost_ his mark during his last battle with Itachi. Maybe that's Kishi's hint that Sasuke, unlike Cain, will be able to return home in the end?

Sorry I haven't updated this in a while!

Happy Valentine's Day to all!


	6. Samsara

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own _Naruto_ or _Sandman_.

**Warning:** This chapter includes spoilers for the _Naruto_ manga.

* * *

**Samsara**

Nagato wandered through the streets of Amegakure, letting the rain hide the tears that streamed down his face.

Yahiko was dead.

He had left Konan behind in one of the towers near the center of the city, preparing Yahiko's body for the funeral. She had called his name as he left, but he had ignored her. _Why does she even want me around? It's __**my**__ fault he's gone!_

He sniffled, and hated himself for doing it. Hadn't he promised himself that he wouldn't be a crybaby anymore? Hadn't he vowed to actually _do_ something about the constant warfare that plagued his country, instead of just crying over it?

He had been walking for hours, taking an aimless path through the twisting streets of his home. The evidence of the continuing battles was everywhere: the charred and blackened ruins of buildings, the black wreaths or ribbons adorning the doors of households in mourning, the injured shinobi with their arms in slings or limping on crutches. He paid no attention to the ninja who called out to him, offering their condolences on the loss of his friend. He simply kept walking, as if hoping he might find a way to walk right out of the cursed world he inhabited.

In an alley behind a row of shops, he finally saw something that made him pause. There was a woman standing at one end of the alley, but she wasn't like any woman he'd ever seen. For one thing, she was completely naked. She was short and squat, and her skin had the dull grey tone of a corpse. Her hair was tangled and tied into a messy bun on top of her head. One of the rats that frequented back alleys like this skittered over her bare feet, and she didn't react at all.

"Are you all right, ma'am?" he called. His voice was hoarse and shaky, and he hated that almost as much as he hated the tears that were still leaking from his eyes.

The woman turned towards him, and he saw that her eyes, like his own, were sunken and red-rimmed. The rest of her face indicated a middle-aged person, but those eyes made her look much older. "And who are you?"

"My name's Nagato," he said, and for some reason added, "You've probably heard of me."

The woman walked over to him, feet splashing in the ever-present puddles. "Nagato, eh? I guess that explains a lot."

"It does?"

"Well, it explains why you can see me." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Seems to me I can remember a young man a lot like you, from a long time back. A great Sage, he was. Do you know what he asked me, when he realized who I am?"

Nagato shook his head, not understanding where she was going with this.

"He asked me why Despair exists in this world. Why so many people live without hope, why nothing good ever seems to last."

"And what did you tell him?"

"I told him that Despair is necessary. Hope can't exist without Despair, after all. And besides, how did he think the most powerful people in the world got that way? No one ever got stronger by having an easy life. Only those who face adversity head-on, who struggle against obstacle after obstacle, can reach their full potential. He, himself, had overcome many difficulties, and he had felt hopeless at times. Without those experiences, he would have been just another mediocre warrior, instead of a legendary Sage. The real point, I guess, is that there are two ways to react to pain: you can let the weight of it crush you, or you can use it to make yourself stronger."

Nagato stared past the woman, at the rain that cascaded endlessly down from the sky. His pain _did_ feel like a weight, one so heavy that he could barely even breathe. But didn't many shinobi use weights to train themselves for extra strength? Could one use an emotional weight the same way? What would Yahiko have said?

The woman shook her head. "It's really a shame. This place was so beautiful the last time I visited it. Everything was sparkling and new, and the people were so vibrant. Look at it now." She sighed. "What hope does this village really have? What hope does the world have?"

_What would Yahiko have said?_ Nagato remembered Yahiko's unflagging determination to change things for the better, his insistence that it was possible to rise above the past and above one's own pain, and he knew the answer.

"It has me." He saw that the woman wore a ring with a barb on it shaped like a fish-hook. For the past few hours, he had felt as though a very similar barb had dug itself into his heart, and he had been walking through the city in an attempt to escape it. But perhaps, he thought, it was time to stop running away from his pain--perhaps it was time to confront it.

_I won't allow my pain to master me anymore. From now on, I will be the master of my pain._ He reached out and pressed one hand over the woman's ring, feeling the barb dig into his palm.

"It has _me_."

* * *

**A/N: **Yay, I finally updated this! "Samsara" is a concept in Buddhism that refers to the endless cycle of death and rebirth in the mortal world, with the ultimate goal being to escape from that cycle and achieve enlightenment.

I hope I managed to do okay with Despair's dialogue. She's the member of the Endless that I feel least sure of, in terms of characterization.

Thanks for reading!**  
**


	7. Atropos

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto_, _Sandman_, or any of the characters in either series.

* * *

**Atropos**

The Maiden glanced out the window and sighed. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping...and she was stuck in here, spinning thread. "Are we almost done?" she groused. "How many more of these things do we have to make?"

The Matron looked up from the thread she was currently measuring. "Only a few more, I think." She marked a place on the thread with chalk, and handed it to the old woman sitting on the other side of her.

The Crone took the thread and, brandishing a huge pair of shears, expertly snipped it exactly on the chalk mark.

"I wonder," said the Maiden as she affixed more material to her spinning wheel, "what would happen if, someday, we spun a thread and our sister _didn't_ cut it?"

"Why, the person whose life is represented by that thread would never die," replied the Matron. "Obviously."

"Yes, but what would that really _mean_?" the Maiden persisted. "Mortality is so integral to human life. What would life be like for someone who _wasn't_ mortal? It would be an interesting experiment, don't you think?"

"It doesn't seem to have agreed with Orpheus much," the Matron pointed out.

"Mmm, but he wasn't immortal from the start. He _asked_ for something that he could only get by becoming immortal. He didn't grow up knowing he was immortal and...I don't know...coming to terms with it, I suppose. I want to know what would happen to a human for whom immortality was their natural condition."

The Matron threw up her hands. "You always speculate about the most pointless things! That's youth, I suppose."

"You _do _realize that we're all exactly the same age, right? We're the Three-in-One, we can't exist separately from each other. Therefore, we came into existence at exactly the same moment."

"Well, my point still holds. Every day you come up with some foolish new question to distract us with, and then it takes extra time for us to get our work done! Look, if you _really_ want to make someone immortal, just do it and get it over with."

"_I_ can't do it," said the Maiden in the tone of one stating an obvious fact. "Only _she_ can do it."

With a long-suffering sigh, the Crone took the piece of thread the Matron had just handed her and cut it. But this time, instead of laying it aside as she usually did, she tied the two ends together so that the thread made a flawless circle. "Are you happy now?" she asked her sisters. "That's the last child born today, now let's go and have some tea."

* * *

"Look at him! What unusual hair and eyes! What are you going to name him?"

The woman, exhausted but happy, gazed down at her newborn son, who was asleep in her arms. "I think I'll call him Hidan."

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry I've neglected this story for so long! I lost inspiration for a while, and when it came back, I got plot bunnies for a couple of other things. But here's a shiny new chapter for you all.


	8. The End and the Beginning

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own _Naruto_. Still don't own _Sandman_ either. Darn.

**Warning:** This chapter includes SasuSaku.

* * *

**Chapter 8: The End and the Beginning**

Sasuke stood at the front door to his house and watched his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren walk down the path leading to the street. He smiled fondly as one of the children took a detour into the garden to chase a butterfly. Stepping back inside, he closed the door and went into the kitchen to make some tea.

The house, which had been ringing with the sound of laughter and conversation for the past few hours, was very quiet now. It was at times like these that he missed the presence of his wife the most. Sakura had died two years previously, and Sasuke considered himself lucky that he had such devoted family and friends to help him through the difficult times afterward. He still felt a swell of pride whenever he passed the hospital and saw her name emblazoned over the main entrance--the retired Hokage's doing, he suspected.

Sasuke set some water on the stove to boil, and rummaged through a cabinet to find some tea leaves. He seemed to feel the cold more acutely in his advanced age, and the warm liquid took the edge off the chill.

When Sasuke turned around, a packet of tea leaves in his hand, he was startled to see a young woman sitting at his kitchen counter. She had entered so silently that she must be a ninja, and Sasuke quickly brought his hands together in a seal.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The woman seemed completely unconcerned by the impressive levels of chakra that Sasuke was radiating. "I guess you could say that I'm an old friend of the family."

"Oh? Then why I have I never seen you before? Why don't I remember you from my childhood?" Looking more closely at the woman, Sasuke saw that she was dressed all in black, with matching heavy eyeliner. A silver pendant twisted into an unusual shape hung from a chain around her neck. Despite its jet-black color, her unruly hair reminded him of Naruto's. Sasuke was fairly certain that if someone looking like this had ever entered his immaculate childhood home, his father would have burst a blood vessel.

"I'm quite sure that you remember my previous visits, even if you don't specifically recall seeing me." The woman's gaze was direct and forthright, but also gentle. Although her ability to enter his house without being noticed suggested training as a shinobi, Sasuke sensed no hostile intent from her. Cautiously, he asked, "And what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, Sasuke-san." She stood up and wandered over to the wall where Sasuke had hung pictures of his family. He watched curiously as she examined them, one after another, commenting on some. "This must be Sakura-san. A very intelligent woman, even if she did cause me to make a lot of wasted trips." She moved along to another photo. "Ah, and here are your children. All excellent shinobi--I look forward to meeting them someday." She stopped at the photo in the center. It was in a hideously garish frame that had been a gift from--who else?--Naruto. Sakura had insisted that he actually use the frame ("It's the thought that counts, Sasuke-kun"), and now he didn't have the heart to replace it.

The mysterious visitor ran her fingers softly over each face in the picture. "Did you know my parents?" Sasuke asked, seeing how engrossed she was. She seemed far too young to remember them, yet they clearly meant something to her. It had been a formal picture, taken on the occasion of Sasuke's entrance into the Academy. Fugaku looked stiff and uncomfortable, as always, while Mikoto was smiling serenely. Sasuke sat on her lap, proudly clutching a pouch full of kunai and shuriken. Itachi stood next to Mikoto with one hand on the young Sasuke's shoulder.

"Yes," she answered quietly. "I knew your whole family." Her eyes were sad, and Sasuke realized that if she _had_ known his family, she must have also mourned their deaths.

"What's your name?" Sasuke asked.

"Don't you already know?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Didn't I already tell you, I don't remember ever meeting you before."

The woman ignored this comment, instead saying, "Why don't we go for a walk?"

Sasuke nodded. He didn't sense any intent to do him harm, but he still didn't entirely trust this strange person. Getting her out of his house might not be a bad idea. "All right."

The sun was setting, and there were many people walking the streets, on their way home from jobs or missions. Some of them nodded or waved to Sasuke as they passed, making no comment about the woman who accompanied him.

"So," Sasuke said when the silence got awkward, "you said that you knew my parents. How did you meet them?"

"Oh, I've known them since they were born."

Sasuke cast a skeptical glance at her from the corner of his eye. She didn't look much older than twenty, certainly nowhere near old enough to have been alive when his parents were born. _Maybe she really __**is**__ a ninja, and her youthful appearance is a Henge._ "What were they like?"

"Your father could be very stern, but he took his duties as clan head seriously. Your mother was always a more gentle person, but she would have done anything to protect her family--she _was_ a former jounin, after all."

_Well, that is certainly an accurate description_, Sasuke thought. "If you knew my parents for that long, you must remember when I was born."

"Of course. Your father had just gotten back from a mission, and when he heard that his wife was in labor, he ran from the village gates all the way to the hospital. He ran like the wind, and burst into the delivery room just as you were born."

Sasuke's eyes widened. He had heard this exact same story many times from his mother when he was a child. _She really __**did**__ know them! But how?_ "And did...did you also know my brother?"

The woman's fond smile faded, and was replaced by a sorrowful expression. "I did. He had a much shorter and much sadder life than he should have."

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said. "At the time, I didn't know--"

"You misunderstand. I'm not blaming you for his death. How could I, when I also have ended the life of a brother?"

Sasuke stopped walking and turned to look at her in shock. "You...?"

"Sometimes," she said, with a far-off look in her eyes, "there are things we don't have any choice about."

They stood in silence for a few moments, and then Sasuke asked, "Why did you come here? Was it really just to reminisce?"

"No. As I said, I came to see you." She took a deep breath, and seemed to gather herself. "Please, come with me." She turned her back on him, and strode towards the front gates of Konoha.

_On the one hand, she's had ample opportunity to attack me if that's what she wanted to do. On the other hand, she could be trying to lure me outside the village. But..._ Recalling the look on her face when she told him about having killed her brother, Sasuke somehow didn't think she was an enemy or a spy. Although he had no memories of her, talking with her was like talking with an old friend.

Sasuke followed her, and frowned when he saw that the front gates were standing wide open and unattended. "What the hell? It's not like the ANBU to be so careless!" He hurried forward, drawing a few kunai that were concealed under his clothing. He might not be an active-duty ninja anymore, but there were some habits that one never forgot.

As he got closer to the gates, he saw that there were indeed people standing outside, flanking the entry in two lines with an aisle between them. But they weren't invaders, and when he realized who they were, his kunai clattered to the ground.

"...Grandfather? Grandmother?" Sure enough, the couple standing nearest the gate were his father's parents, with the same gentle smiles on their faces that he remembered from childhood.

Beyond them were another couple, somewhat younger. One of them was a woman who looked like she could have been his mother's twin. "Aunt? Uncle?"

Beyond them, a boy with spiky hair and goggles perched on top of his head. "Cousin Obito?"

Sasuke could sense his mysterious visitor following along behind him as he walked between the rows of his kinsmen. He was so stunned that he couldn't do anything more than greet each new person who came into view. Ahead of him, he could see the lines ending, the aisle closed off by three people standing shoulder-to-shoulder. One was a tall, stern-faced man with broad shoulders. The second was a small, slim woman with delicate features. And the third...well, he would have known that vibrant pink hair anywhere.

"Mother? Father? Sakura?" Sasuke was surprised to find that there were tears on his cheeks.

Sakura smiled at him, and his father said words that Sasuke only realized now he had been waiting to hear since he was a small child: "We're so proud of you, son."

His mother looked back over her shoulder and beckoned, then stepped aside to let someone standing behind her come forward.

Sasuke's knees buckled, but the woman behind him darted in--and she must be a shinobi after all, with that speed--and gripped his arm to keep him upright. He barely even noticed: he had eyes only for the young man who stood in front of him.

"Brother!"

Itachi smiled--and like Fugaku's words of praise, this was also something that Sasuke had longed to see more than he consciously realized. "Hello, Sasuke-kun."

Shaking, Sasuke demanded, "Why are all of you here? And who is this woman? Did you send her?"

"Send her?" Itachi replied. "Not quite. It would be more correct to say that s_he_ sent _us_."

And now, Sasuke finally knew who this strange and unexpected visitor was.

Behind him, he heard the sound of her wings--but in the company of his parents, his wife, and his brother, he was not afraid.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm so sorry that I let this go so long without an update! And yes, it's another Sasuke chapter--as I said at the beginning, this fic is less structured than "A Rain of Endless Leaves," so characters from either series may appear in multiple chapters.

Regarding Death's comment that Sakura forced her to make "a lot of wasted trips", I was referring to the fact that Sakura's a medical specialist--I figured Death would keep showing up in the mortal realm, only to find that Sakura healed the person she was intending to take. And the reason Sasuke doesn't sense any "killing intent" from her even though she's coming to end his life is because Death isn't a hostile person--she doesn't feel any anger or hate towards the people she takes, on the contrary she _likes_ everybody.

Hopefully, the next update won't take so long...


	9. In the Frontiers of Endless Dream

**Disclaimer:** Morpheus and Itachi both died--that alone should tell you I don't own either _Naruto_ or _Sandman_.

**Warning:** Some manga spoilers in this chapter.

* * *

**In the Frontiers of Endless Dream**

When Konan met the King of All Night's Dreaming, she had just lost one of her best friends. The civil war in the Rain Village had been raging for years, and many had been lost on both sides. But no matter how difficult the battle, Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato had always survived somehow. Until the day when Hanzou had taken her hostage, and forced Nagato to make an impossible choice.

Nagato had told her over and over that she couldn't blame herself for Yahiko's death. But no matter how many times he told her, a part of herself refused to believe that. _If only I had been strong enough to save myself. If only I could turn my body fully into paper, I could have escaped on my own. _

As a ninja, you couldn't afford to be distracted during a battle, even for a fraction of a second. That was why shinobi were told to kill their emotions--because if they didn't, it was quite likely that their emotions would kill _them_. So perhaps it was inevitable that shortly after Yahiko's death, the guilt that gnawed constantly at Konan diverted her attention at a crucial moment, and she found herself with a katana between her ribs.

After killing the enemy who had wounded her, Nagato had sealed the wound so that she didn't bleed to death, but repairing the internal damage was beyond his rather rudimentary medical skills. He carried her away from the front lines, back to one of the hospitals allied with their side. She drifted in and out of consciousness, and eventually the two states began to melt into one another. The pain, the drugs the medic-nins gave her to ease the pain, and the blood loss combined to blur the boundaries between reality and unreality, and she began to dream even when she was awake.

Adrift in the world of dreams, Konan saw many strange things. She sailed among the stars and dived to the depths of the ocean. She stood amongst swirling desert winds and marveled at flowers that glowed like lanterns. She saw family members who had been dead for years, and family members who were not yet born.

And then she crossed a bridge over a shimmering lake, and entered a garden where fireflies danced above blossoms that filled the air with sweet perfume. In the center of the garden was a splendid palace that seemed to rise up unendingly into the sky. Magnificent towers and turrets sparkled in the light of the fireflies, and the palace itself seemed faintly luminous. Above the massive golden doors leading into the palace was a balcony, and on that balcony stood a man. He was clad all in black, and his eyes glowed like the stars above.

Konan remembered the stories her mother had told her as a child, and she recognized the man right away. She went down on one knee and bowed her head. "Greetings, Lord of Dreams."

"Welcome to my realm, child. It is not everyone who can find their way to the center of this place." His voice was smooth and deep, and she seemed to hear it in her head rather than in her ears. "To have found it, you must have a powerful dream within your heart."

"...Am I dead?"

The King of All Night's Dreaming smiled. "If you were dead, it is not me that you'd be seeing. You are here because you're dreaming, and you were drawn to me by the strength of your dream. It is a dream you carry in your soul even when you're not asleep."

Konan looked down, sorrowfully. In the realm of dreams, her body had been intact, but now a vicious puncture opened in her abdomen, mirroring the wound that had sent her to this place. Blood dripped onto the grass, and strange crimson flowers rose up where it fell. "My dream is peace. I dream of a country that isn't tearing itself apart, a world that isn't constantly at war. But sometimes that dream seems so far away."

"Ah, peace. One of the oldest and noblest dreams of mankind. Only the dream of immortality is older. The dream in your heart _is _strong."

"But it's only a dream. Maybe it's one that can never be achieved in the real world."

"Child, this _is_ the real world. Just because it isn't the world you know doesn't mean it isn't real. Anything from this world can be pulled into your world, if you are strong enough and determined enough. Show me your dream."

"How...?"

"Dreamstuff is all around us. Mold it. _Show me your dream._"

The garden, the grass, the flowers, the fireflies, all seemed to dissolve into mist, and then the mist took on new shapes. Buildings of white marble rose around Konan, and cobblestone streets appeared under her feet. Laughing children ran through the streets, and shopkeepers displayed their wares in the windows of prosperous-looking stores. A trio of Rain ninja strolled down one street, talking in an animated and carefree way. An emissary from another village approached them, asking for directions to the nearest inn.

"This is the world you would build, then? This is your dream?" Konan turned and found the Dream Lord at her elbow.

"Yes. This dream is what I fight for. I've killed men for it, and now I think I'm dying for it."

"I told you before--you wouldn't be here if you were dead. As for your dream...if you carry it in your heart, protect it fiercely, and do all you can to shape the world around you in its image...someday you just might succeed. No matter what happens, a dream can never be killed. Even if you die, even if your comrades die, even if the tyrant you fight triumphs for a while, the dream will still survive, and someday someone will make it a reality. Dreams never die, for they are Endless."

Slowly, the dream landscape faded from view, and the bare walls of a hospital room took its place. Konan found herself lying in bed with an IV drip in her arm. Nagato was sitting in a chair by her bedside, and as she opened her eyes, he jumped to his feet. "You're awake!" he exclaimed. "I was so worried--you were delirious for days!"

"You were talking in your sleep," he confided, his gray eyes glinting with something that might have been tears. "It sounded like you were talking _to_ someone. I thought...I thought you had met the Shinigami. I thought you were dying."

"I _was _talking to someone, but it wasn't the Shinigami."

"Who was it? And what did he say?"

Konan's right hand was curled into a fist, and she opened it now. A single firefly sat within, alive and unharmed.

There were no fireflies in the Rain Village.

_Anything from this world can be pulled into your world, if you are strong enough and determined enough. Dreams never die, for they are Endless._

"He was the King of All Night's Dreaming, and he said not to give up hope."

* * *

**A/N:** See, I told you the next update wouldn't take so long!

I'm intending for their to be one, maybe two more chapters in this story. I hope you're all enjoying it!


	10. A Meeting Over Ramen

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own _Naruto_. Still don't own _Sandman_.

* * *

**A Meeting Over Ramen**

Kakashi sighed. Naruto was off training with Jiraiya, Sakura was off training with Tsunade, and Sasuke was...off training with Orochimaru, presumably. Asuma was on a date with Kurenai, Iruka was barricaded in his office grading papers, and Genma was away on a mission. And Kakashi had already read the newest volume in the Icha Icha Paradise series three times.

He was bored.

And hungry.

Kakashi ambled across the village to Ichiraku Ramen. The only empty stool was at the end, next to a broad-shouldered man with red hair tied in a ponytail and a rugged, jovial face. Kakashi sat down on his stool and ordered a bowl of pork ramen. Glancing over, he saw two empty bowls stacked next to the red-haired man's place, while the man worked on a third. Miso-flavored, if Kakashi was identifying the scent correctly.

Kakashi's neighbor grinned at him. "This place has pretty good food, huh?"

"Yeah. My students eat here all the time."

"Oh, you're a teacher? That's a noble profession." The man gestured with his chopsticks at Kakashi's forehead protector. "A ninja teacher, right?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes. What about you? What do you do for a living?" Normally he wasn't in the habit of striking up conversations with random patrons at Ichiraku's, but a friendly chat seemed as good a way to pass the time as any.

The man shrugged. "I used to be in a family business, but I gave that up. Now, I mostly just wander around from place to place."

Kakashi was about to ask the man another question, but at that moment the ramen arrived, prompting a look of curiosity from his neighbor. "May I ask how you're intending to eat with that mask on?"

Kakashi's one visible eye closed slightly as he gave an enigmatic smile. He took out his chopsticks, turned away briefly, and then turned back with a full mouth.

The man shook his head. "Amazing. You should do that as a party trick."

"Funny, one of my friends says the same thing." Kakashi swallowed. "So, I was going to ask you, why did you leave that family business?"

Another shrug. "I just couldn't do it anymore. The job was like a weight on my shoulders that seemed to get a little heavier each passing day. Then one day, I woke up and realized the weight was so heavy I could barely move. The only thing to do was to set it down and...walk away."

"But doesn't your family miss you?"

"I suppose so. My kid sister came after me, you know. Her and my big brother. Tried to talk me into coming back."

"They didn't succeed, I take it?"

"Seeing as how I'm here, eating miso ramen in your fair village, no."

"But it sounds like they were worried about you."

The man sighed. "To be honest, I was worried about _them_. Or _her_, to be more precise. My sister's changed a lot. That's why I wasn't too upset when they found me. I was glad to see her, you know? But when the time came, we went our separate ways again."

"Hmm..." By now, Kakashi was nearly done with his ramen. "Well, it really isn't my place to interfere in your business. But, since you've been so kind as to tell me about yourself, I suppose I owe you a little bit of a story as well."

The man lifted his bowl to his mouth to drain the last dregs of broth. "Fire away," he said. "Although some people might claim otherwise, I've always appreciated a good story."

"I used to have three students," Kakashi said quietly. "Now I have two." He stood up, and set some money down on the counter next to his now-empty bowl. "It hurts to be left behind. That weight you spoke of setting down before? The family members you left are probably carrying burdens ten times as heavy." He lifted the curtain over the entryway and sauntered out into the street. "See you around," he called back over his shoulder, and then was gone.

Destruction took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Another bowl, sir?" the young lady who helped her father run the shop asked hopefully.

Destruction shook his head, no longer looking as carefree as he had a few minutes ago. "I'm not hungry anymore."

* * *

**A/N:** Why yes, Kakashi _did_ just guilt-trip one of the Endless. Why do you ask?

Only one more chapter to go! I've had a lot of fun writing this. I'm glad I was able to include Kakashi, because he's just awesome.


	11. Birthright Reclaimed

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I still don't own either _Naruto_ or _Sandman_.

* * *

**Birthright Reclaimed**

Gaara entered his room, set his sand-gourd down on a chair, and stared at his bed.

Ever since he was a small child, his nights had been troubled. As soon as he fell asleep and let his mental guard down, the ravenous demon within him would try to wrest control of his mind from him. Terrified by its brutal efforts, he would force himself to wake up, and spend the rest of the night curled up in the center of his bed, knees drawn up to his chest and shivering with fear.

But now Shukaku was gone. For the first time since his birth, his mind was entirely his own.

Slowly, Gaara approached his bed, lay down, and closed his eyes. A part of him refused to believe that this was real, expected Shukaku to go tearing through his mind like it had always done in the past. But nothing happened. Gaara felt his awareness of his surroundings slowly drifting away...and no twisted, hate-filled demon replaced it.

Instead, he found himself standing in front of a huge palace, built of white marble. Towers reached up into the sky, so high that clouds obscured their tops. Silken banners trimmed with gold thread fluttered in a gentle breeze. The doors before him were made of bronze, and looked so huge that it was hard to believe any human would be able to open them. Three strange creatures perched on ledges near the doors-one at each side and one directly above. They were creatures Gaara had only heard of in myths and legends: a wyvern, a gryphon, and a hippogriff.

"Who goes there?" the wyvern asked in a booming, imposing voice.

"I am Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of the Land of Wind," Gaara said impassively. He had no experience with dreams, and this one was definitely turning out to be rather bizarre, but he decided to go with the flow of it and see what happened.

"You are expected, Kazekage-sama. Please enter, but be careful not to stray from the path," the wyvern answered, and the massive doors creaked open.

Gaara took a few tentative steps inside and found that he was on a winding path that seemed to be made of crystal or glass. The path was suspended in an empty night sky full of stars. Luckily, the light from the stars reflected off the crystal path, so there was no danger of falling off. Gaara followed the path until it led to a set of stairs, at the top of which was a throne made of the same crystal as the path itself. A tall, gaunt man dressed all in black, with hair and eyes to match, sat on the throne. A glistening ruby hung on a chain around his neck, and small tables set to either side of his throne held a nondescript pouch and an oddly-shaped helmet. "Welcome to the Dreaming, Sabaku no Gaara," the man intoned. His voice was soft, yet it carried clearly through the infinite space surrounding him.

"Thank you," Gaara responded. "May I assume that you are the ruler of this place?" He was somewhat surprised that his very first dream would be so self-referential, like some sort of meta-dream. He would have expected his unconscious mind, being unused to this sort of thing, to come up with something simple and straightforward. Apparently not.

"Indeed," the man on the throne replied. "I am His Darkness, Dream of the Endless, Lord of Dreams and Prince of Stories." He stood up, revealing a long cloak-as black as the rest of his clothing-that billowed around him, although there was no wind inside the palace to make it do so. Gaara caught sight of flickering forms within the folds of the cloak: faces and forms of men and beasts. Some were speaking, some fighting, some engaged in everyday activities. No scene remained in place for more than a few seconds. Gaara opened his mouth to speak when he saw his siblings reflected in the garment, but Dream cut him off.

"This realm is the birthright of every sentient being. It is a place that people should be able to come to confront their fears, see their wishes fulfilled, speak with those who have died and those who haven't yet been born. That right has been denied to you, and for that I apologize. I myself have been...indisposed...for some time, and many undesirable things have happened in my absence. Rest assured that this state of affairs will no longer continue. I have returned to assume my responsibilities once again, and from this night forward, you will always be welcome in the Dreaming."

Morpheus raised his arms, and the darkness around them shifted. Brilliantly colored orbs rose through the starry sky, passing Gaara as he stood on the crystal path and soaring over his head. With a gasp, Gaara recognized that one particular blue-and-green orb was the waking world, as scholars predicted it would look if one could see it from high enough above. Others were red or gray or a mix of colors, and some were surrounded by thin and glimmering rings. As the planets ascended out of sight, Gaara heard a great flapping of wings, and looked down to see a bird made of flame approaching. It circled around him, and he could feel the heat from its blazing feathers. It opened its beak and began to sing a song so beautiful that it made Gaara's heart swell with joy. It sang of belonging, of kindness, of friendship, and of hope. The phoenix continued to fly upwards, disappearing into the endless sky above like a comet.

Now the stars themselves were being arranged into patterns. Glowing animals cavorted around the crystal path: an ox, a tiger, a dragon, and many others that Gaara remembered Yashamaru telling stories about when he was a child.

Then they too disappeared, leaving Gaara in almost complete darkness. Only two stars remained now, glowing in the Dreamlord's eyes. His voice echoed in the surrounding blackness, seeming to come from all directions at once: "Once again, Sabaku no Gaara, I tell you as one ruler to another that you will always be an honored guest in my realm."

Gaara bowed respectfully towards the two points of light that were all he could see of Morpheus. "And I tell you as one ruler to another that you will always be an honored guest in mine."

Now even those last two stars faded away, and the feel of lying in bed gradually returned to him.

As did the sound of frantic pounding on his door and two voices calling his name.

Gaara sat up, but before he could call out, "Who is it?", there was a huge _whoosh_ sound, and his door was blown straight off its hinges. The cause was immediately obvious: Temari stood in the doorway with her fan unfurled, Kankurou standing right behind her with a puppet hovering beside him.

"Gaara!" Temari exclaimed. "Your meeting with the Elders was supposed to start half an hour ago! We came to find you, but you weren't answering your door and we thought something had happened-"

"We thought maybe someone took advantage of your not having Shukaku anymore to attack you-"

"We were afraid one of the councilors had maybe tried something stupid-"

"A couple of them still think you might go berserk, because apparently they're complete dumbasses-"

"Kankurou!"

"Well, they _are_."

"Temari, Kankurou," Gaara said, and both of his siblings immediately fell silent. "I merely overslept. I'm very sorry if I caused you any alarm."

"So...nothing's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," Gaara confirmed.

Temari turned to survey the demolished door and the items that had been scattered across the room by her wind attack. "...Oops?"

Gaara shook his head. "It's alright. It's my fault for making you so worried. I guess I didn't anticipate how tired I would be." He smiled slightly. "When it comes to sleep, I have a lot of catching up to do."

"I suppose you do," Kankurou said. Then a thought seemed to strike him. "Hey Gaara, did you dream? I mean, your sleep used to be so disrupted that you probably were never deeply asleep enough to dream, but now..."

Gaara turned to face the window, where the sun was setting and the first faint stars could be discerned in the sky. "Yes," he said in a soft voice. "Yes, I dreamed."

* * *

**A/N:** So, this is the last chapter. I really enjoyed writing this story: I love _Sandman_ and _Naruto_, so getting to combine the two was a lot of fun. I'm glad I left this drabble for last, because I feel like that dramatic scene with all of the dream-forms surrounding Gaara in Dream's throne room is a fitting ending for the story.

The constellation-animals Gaara sees (ox, tiger, etc.) are from the Chinese zodiac.

I hope you've all enjoyed this story! Reviews would be greatly appreciated, as always.


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